You're So Unserious! And It's a Good Thing
- Victoria Hogg
- Jul 31
- 3 min read
Gooday, people! |
Imagine the business world as a weekly figures spreadsheet: precise, predictable, and sometimes painfully grey. Now picture a colourful doodle: a spontaneous sketch in the margins. That’s play! Of course a lot of people think that play is silly. They think that foolishness can’t sit with greatness, or good work, or dedication. Not true.
Surely having an agile mind and the ability to pivot gracefully under pressure is better than rigid attitudes? There’s a name for the latter: cognitive fixedness. And cognitive fixedness will have you crumble and lose influence faster than saying… well: ‘weekly figures spreadsheet’. |
You’re So Unserious! Hooray!
TRY IT OUT:
Can you connect with a colleague enough to make them laugh?
Make sure the situation is one in which they feel somewhat serious about the subject matter but the stakes aren’t too high. Tell them, as you’re trying to make them laugh about the issue, that you also really care about it. You want things to work out with it. You are on their team.
Keep empathy and sympathy front of mind and it’ll create a nice balance between being serious… and unserious. And it might just get them giggling.
“People tend to forget that play is serious” David Hockney, British artist
Something in the air…
“You’re so unserious”: the social-media meme that’s a source of constant joy, especially among (and thanks to) Gen Z. The above image of US drag queen Luxx Noir says it all.
Younger generations are faced with the most serious problems the world has yet offered. Issues from climate crisis and tech overwhelm to corrupt governments and global iniquity are impossible to fix unless you’re in a position of power.
How do these younger generations deal with the stress? By wryly calling out ridiculousness and playing with power imbalance. “You’re so unserious”.
But they get the enormity. They care. It’s a ‘whaddya gonna do?!” response that touches on the hardship of having to move in a world that’s got so much going on. And, wryly, it exactly shows the need for play in a serious world.
Something puppy-shaped…
Bernard is a borrowed shih-tzu and an absolute legend. Bernard invites play, requires fun and simply wants to roll around and have a laugh. He’s happiest relaxing in a mucky puddle. He got a grass seed in his paw - hence the cone of shame.
The desire in me (Vic) to keep Bernard alive is dialled up to 11. I LOVE HIM! Plus it’s awkward telling owners you’ve broken their dog, so I keep him extra safe.
Maintaining the balance between caring for Bernard in a way that involves amusing Bernard, while also protecting Bernard at all costs, is difficult.
In business, there’s always high stakes and the need to care. But we also have to have fun, bring joy and invite laughter because that’s how we get the best out of people.
“A child loves his play not because it’s easy but because it’s hard” Benjamin Spock, child development expert
Something I observed…
In our line of work, there’s people who love to have fun and people who hate to have fun. Actually - that’s not quite it. There’s people who love to have fun on their own terms, and people willing to have fun on the group’s collective terms.
The former perhaps finds it harder to let go. The latter is up for most stuff. One wants control, the other wants shared joy.
Which type are you?
All the best,
Vic (and Paul)
